Illinois focuses on improving patient care through healthcare IT

In an attempt to improve the quality of care that is provided to about 1.3 million patients, the Central Illinois Health Information Exchange (CIHIE) will work with the Informatics Corporation of America (ICA) to provide information technology (IT) and link their systems, Information Week reported.

Through this collaboration, the ICA will be able to link to and exchange data from the CIHIE’s AllCharts, which are existing patient information systems, through its CareAlign patient-centered information management platform, according to the news source. Healthcare professionals will have access to more information and, as a result, have a chance to improve the quality of care that they offer.

For instance, the more information clinicians have, the less likely they are to duplicate tests or make medication errors, the news outlet stated. Ultimately, this allows them to save more money. A total of 2,800 physicians and 280 pharmacists work within the CIHIE service area, which includes 27 hospitals, 20 health departments and 12 labs and imaging centers.

“CareAlign will provide us with core technology tools to achieve transformative changes to healthcare in the region, such as primary care medical home and informed care coordination teams,” said Joy Duling, interim executive director of CIHIE, as quoted by the news source. “We also see the solution improving transitions of care from hospitals to the ambulatory setting, from emergency departments to follow-up care and supporting the transfer of trauma patients to trauma centers.”

This is not the only health information management news coming out of Illinois’ healthcare sector, as Governor Pat Quinn recently announced that his state has selected the InterSystems Corporation to help take Illinois’ health information system to the next level.

In a statement, Quinn said that statewide access to electronic health records will translate to better healthcare delivery and, as a result, more lives saved.